On December 7th, the MPO made a presentation to the Estero Village Council on the status of the Rail to Trail Committee. A number of Vines residents and ECC members attended to listen and support our opposition to the proposed route through our community and golf course.
In addition to Vines residents and ECC members there were a large number of attendees in support of the trail. They were represented by an organized group with over 1,000 members called Friend of BERT (Bontia Estero Rail Trail) wearing blue shirts with the group's logo.
The MPO presentation discussed the pros and cons of alternate routes including some presented by Vines residents. Based upon their presentation it appears that the cost to purchase the railroad in addition to the construction costs will far exceed their estimate of $100 million. They stated that thus far they have no funds committed for construction or purchase of the railroad. They also indicated that a realistic timetable for completion would be a minimum of 10 years.
Noel Davies, an attorney representing the Vines and ECC made a statement of our opposition to the proposed rail to trail route through the Vines and submitted a resolution for the Village Council's consideration for Estero Parkway to be the north end of the trail.
Vines residents who did not attend the meeting are encouraged to view its video by selecting the link below.
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